1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to appliques. More particularly, the present invention relates to a flexible waterproof applique for accurate mounting directly to swimming pools and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various methods and means have been devised for permanently mounting pictures on surfaces that use a variety of adhesives and devices. Liquid adhesives are messy and frequently damage the picture and the surface and also require considerable skill and care in their use. Adhesives that must be moistened have to be applied commercially. Mounting tissues require prolonged heat and pressure applied with specialized equipment. Pressure-sensitive adhesives have been used but it has proved to be extremely difficult to mount a picture properly with these adhesives since there has been no provision for preventing accidental contact between the picture and the surface while the picture was being positioned on the surface. Any attempt to move the picture after accidental contact damaged the picture and/or the surface.
Furthermore, in the past it has generally been necessary to carefully measure and draw construction lines on the face of a surface in order to assure that a picture would be properly located and aligned on the surface. Such construction lines could not be completely removed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,987,569 to Chase teaches an adhesive picture mount that is attachable to a wall. A description of which can best be made with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.
The adhesive picture mount includes a thick and rigid base member with a front surface for receiving a picture and a rear surface for mounting to a wall. An adhesive layer is disposed on part of the front surface and a release sheet is positioned over the adhesive layer. The release sheet is made up of three independent sections that are each removed individually. The picture must first be mounted to the thick and rigid base member which in turn is then mounted to a wall. Thus no mounting directly of a picture to a wall is provided. Furthermore, both the adhesive layer and the release sheet are not waterproof and are located on part of the thick and rigid base member not the picture.
To apply the teachings of Chase to the present invention would require that the adhesive and the release sheet be located on the rigid swimming pool inner surface and that the waterproof flexible applique would have to be applied thereon. This arrangement would provide for a horrendous situation. The entire rigid swimming pool inner surface would have to be covered with an adhesive layer and a release sheet so that the user can apply the applique at any position on the swimming pool inner surface. With this arrangement, a specific section of the release sheet that is analogous to the shape of the applique must be removed, quite a tedious task to accomplish especially when the swimming pool is full of water.
Since the applique of the present invention is applied while the swimming pool is full of water, both the release sheet and the adhesive layer are waterproof and specifically the adhesive layer is resistant to prolonged exposure to the degrading effects of chlorine water.
Additionally, the adhesive layer is applied over the entire back surface of the applique so that the chlorine water is prevented from coming in contact with the back side of the mounted applique and lift the applique off of the swimming pool inner surface.
In an attempt to waterproof a surface, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,653 to Muzik teaches photographic paper provided with a water resistant layer to prevent moisture absorption and wrinkling during drying. This teaching addresses the prevention of moisture absorption and wrinkling during drying but does not address the prevention of moisture absorption and wrinkling during continuous submersion in chlorine water.
Numerous other innovations for appliques have been provided in the prior art. However, even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.